Breathless Temptation [Texas Stallions 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (5 page)

“Oh, don’t be silly,” Tyler said, coming up behind his wife to kiss her on her cheek. “My new bride wouldn’t want you to fret over something like that.”

“Exactly,” Abby said, smiling up at her husband, and then returned her gaze to Delilah. “Besides, it gives the boys something to do around here.” She winked. “You and Clay have great timing by the way, the food is about to be served. Now, do yourselves a favor and get in line before all the good stuff’s gone.”

Clay grinned and, as instructed by not only Abby but his influential stomach, jumped into line. He made no hesitation about loading up his plate. He was a big, strong man and needed lots of nourishment. When he noticed that Delilah was barely putting anything on her plate, he paused, eyebrow arched, and glared at her.

“You are going to get even skinnier if you don’t put some food on that plate.” The expression on her face told him she might be a little uncomfortable, so he helped her by adding a roll, a scoop of potatoes, and a nice slice of ham to her plate. Then he said, “Now you look like everyone else and you won’t stick out like a sore thumb.”

She smiled softly and followed him to find a place to sit. They found a table off to the side where Cooper Boyd was sitting, talking with a very pretty brunette.

“Coop, mind if we sit here?” Clay asked.

“Hey, Clay, no, not at all,” Cooper said, standing to greet Delilah. “I’m Cooper Boyd, and you must be Ms. Devero.”

“Delilah, please.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Delilah.” He tilted his cowboy hat and sat down after her. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, thank you for asking.”

Delilah sat a chair away from Cooper, and Clay knew it was just another one of her uncomfortable little quirks. She was nervous, and he could tell. Leaning over, he whispered in her ear, “Relax, they’re not going to bite you.”

She turned to face him, pursing her lips together to hold back her smile. He could tell since the corners of her mouth peeked up just a little. Staring at her lips, he desperately wanted to lean forward to taste them, but he didn’t. Instead he picked up his fork and began digging in.

Within a few short seconds of him shoving a nice, juicy piece of roast in his mouth, Hunter Boyd appeared beside Delilah and asked, “Is this seat taken?”

Shifting in her seat, she said, “No.”

Hunter plopped himself down into the vacant seat and said, “I know you don’t remember me, but I’m Hunter Boyd.”

Her cheeks flushed. “Mr. Boyd,” she acknowledged, grabbing her glass of water. “I’m so sorry about what I did to your fence.”

He shrugged. “It’s really not an issue. I’m just glad to see you up and alive. I have to admit, you had me a little freaked out when Clay and I pulled you from your car.”

She glanced down at her plate. “Thank you for your help. I’m hoping my insurance company has already called to settle on the repairs for the fence. If not, please let me know and I’ll—” He stopped her as she reached for her purse. His hand rested reassuringly over top of hers.

Hunter edged in closer and whispered, “Ms. Devero, you don’t need to worry about the fence. This is a celebration, and you are our guest. Stop worrying about that fence and enjoy yourself. There’s great food and music, not to mention some pretty great people to talk to.” He pointed his thumbs at himself and offered her a crooked smile.

She giggled, and it made Clay’s blood begin to boil. He wasn’t about to let a damn kid, ten years younger than him, come between him and Delilah. It was true that he didn’t think that getting involved with her was a great idea, but he sure as hell wasn’t about to let Hunter have at her while he played the good cop.
Fuck that.

Instantly, Clay was on his feet, hovering over Hunter’s side opposite of Delilah. His voice was so low he was sure only Hunter could hear him. “What are you doing? She came here with me, Hunter. Back off.”

Hunter’s charming smile made it clear what Delilah might see in a young man like him, but it wasn’t until he said, “Let the games begin, big guy,” that he knew he was in trouble.

* * * *

All in all, Delilah was enjoying the late afternoon at the Boyd reception. She’d had so many wonderful conversations with so many different townsfolk, she was sure she’d never keep all their names straight. One thing she enjoyed most was meeting a few townsfolk who remembered her mother. They had told her what they admired about Pamela Travis and her family. How they kept the town from dying out all those years ago. How they were the reason that the town now had some of the best cattle ranches in the country.

She glanced down at her watch, suddenly aware that it had been several minutes since she’d seen Clay. He’d disappeared to help the Boyd brothers with something, what exactly, she wasn’t sure, but she still felt strange standing on the porch alone. She awaited him with desired anticipation.

A warm smile sprung to her lips as she thought about him and the way he sort of swept into her life unexpectedly. Technically, everything about her time in Temptation had been unexpected, and she wouldn’t change a thing about it if she could. Well, except for the fact that she was still waiting on the appearance of her crazy stepbrother.

The only thing that made Warren’s threats less disturbing was the warm protection she felt from Clay. She couldn’t ignore the way just looking at him made her heart skip a little faster and parts of her throb delightfully. He was a gentleman to the core. She found that sexy and annoying since she had no idea how he truly felt about her.

Sadly, she wondered if he even found her as appealing as she found him. Perhaps it was all in her head and the time they’d spent together had just been him being the concerned sheriff. He offered her something she’d never experienced before, even if it was only in her imagination. She felt perfect in every way with Clay and that left an electrifying impression tingling throughout her body. Another thing she found confusing and exciting was the instant attraction she had toward Hunter Boyd. She thought for sure she’d feel uncomfortable around him, his entire family for that matter, but she didn’t. What she did feel was warm, very warm, and not because it was Texas. She’d spent a good deal of time talking with the hazel-eyed cowboy, learning all about cattle roping and horseback riding. He’d told her about his career in the rodeo circuit and how he’d been the only one of his brothers to escape the cattle-ranching life for a short time. He confessed to her that even though he thrived in that dangerous environment, it was with his brothers that he truly felt at home.

Hunter didn’t talk like most twenty-five-year-old men she’d known. He seemed settled, educated, and very easy to speak with. It was effortless to feel so drawn to him and comforted in many ways. His voice and presences alone had a soothing appeal, like listening to the ocean crash upon the shore, or the wind blow softly upon her skin. Not to mention, the allure of his hazel eyes that left her just a little breathless.

Suddenly, the image of Clay and Hunter flashed in her mind. The two sexy, shirtless men stood before her like warriors, protecting her from the evil stalking after her. The glow of their tanned flesh teased her vision, igniting a passion so rich she could hardly stand it.

She nibbled her bottom lip, frustrated by the attraction she could do nothing about and the undesired family life that choked her, destroying any chance she had to live a passion filled existence. Too bad her stepfamily was most likely closing in on her and she had no choice but to leave Temptation soon. If she didn’t, she might have a reason to stick around.

“Having a good time?” Hunter’s voice dipped into her ear as he hovered close behind her.

A shiver charged down her spine. Smiling, she turned only to find him closer than she had expected. He didn’t step back, so she leaned against the railing of the front porch. “Yes, actually I just came out here to enjoy the scenery. It’s amazing how beautiful everything is out here.”

“You should see it at sunset,” he told her with a warm, buttery smile.

“Are you inviting me to see it at sunset with you?” she asked, knowing it was a teasing suggestion. What had made her ask that? Why was she acting like such a flirt?

He placed his arms on either side of her, resting his hands on the railing behind her, capturing her. He drew closer, and she felt her pulse skyrocket in her throat and straight up into her temples. “Anytime you wish. I’ve got a perfect spot in mind.” Instantly, his hands came up to cup her face, holding her as his lips closed over hers. The warm, sensual feel of his lips was divine as she tasted the beer on his breath and tongue.

Was she dreaming? Her body didn’t seem to feel as if it belonged to her anymore. The tantalizing touch of his lips upon hers rendered her helpless.

Without hesitation, her arms surrounded his waist, holding him close to her. For a solid moment, she was lost in his kiss, lost in the arms of a man she accepted. That was until they were yanked apart as if they were children being caught necking on the porch.

“Clay, what the hell are you doing?”

“What did I tell you?” Clay roared at Hunter.

Hunter shoved at Clay, and the two men jumped at each other. Delilah screamed. The sound of her fury stopped them dead in their tracks. She abhorred violence, especially when she was the reason for it. Why was Clay acting this way? Did he have feelings for her after all? What they hell was she thinking kissing Hunter?

She swallowed hard. “If I wanted to see fighting, I would’ve stayed home in California.” She pushed past the two men and off the porch. Inclining her head to the side, she told Clay, “Take me back to the hotel.”

The ride to her hotel was spent in silence. The tension between them was so thick a knife would have had trouble cutting through it. She sat with her arms folded over her chest, hating that once again she was on alert. Why couldn’t things have gone right for once? Why did everything have to be so damn difficult in her life? Why couldn’t she figure men out before things turned to chaos?

She was startled from her thoughts as Clay muttered, “I’m sorry.”

Grinding her teeth together, she spit out, “I don’t need another man in my life like Warren, Clay.”

The shocked look on his face as she compared him to Warren was almost horrific. His eyes widened, and his mouth pressed tightly together, the muscles of his jaw flexing under the strain. “Is that why you flirted with Hunter? Because you think he’s harmless?” He chuckled with raw venom. “Sweetheart, he’s more dangerous than you think.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t be so naive. He’s the type of man who smiles at you, whispers sweet nothings into your ear, and then when he has you flat on your…”

With an abrupt halt, he simply stopped talking, but she wasn’t done with him yet. She had to know what he was going to say about Hunter. Had to know why he was so angry that she’d spent time with him or even kissed him. “What, Clay? Finish what you were going to say.”

He stared ahead and swallowed hard. Frustrated by his silence she glanced ahead as the truck came to a complete stop. She sucked in a gasp of air as she registered what Clay was looking at. Her heart raced uncontrollably in her chest, and she knew exactly what she would find behind the cracked door of her hotel room. Warren Michaels.

“Stay in the truck,” Clay ordered. He could see the panic in her big blue eyes and knew she was thinking the same thing he was. Her stepbrother had found her. “Lock the doors when I get out.” She didn’t respond. She just kept staring out the window at the unclosed hotel door. “Delilah!” He called her name more sharply and drew her attention to him. “Lock the doors when I get out.”

She nodded.

Before exiting his truck, he reached under the seat and grabbed his 9mm. He held it firmly in his left hand as he shut the truck door and listened for Delilah to hit the locking mechanism. She did.

Slowly, he moved into the room, careful not to make a sound. His eyes constantly scanned from left to right, up and down. There was not one spot in her room that went unchecked. No one was there. If Warren had been in her room, he’d left before they’d arrived and most likely left the hotel door open as a calling card.

He stalked back to his truck, and she opened the door as he appeared at her side. “He’s not here. Come inside and tell me if anything was stolen,” he demanded, and she moved out of the truck as if it were on fire.

Placing his hand at the small of her back, he escorted her into her room. Again his eyes searched with great precision as they walked. Quietly, he waited for her to check her belongings, and at first, he just assumed that maybe they were worried about nothing. That perhaps somehow the door hadn’t latched when he closed it earlier that afternoon.

“Oh my God,” she blurted out. “He stole my damn panties.” She plopped down on the bed and covered her face in her hands.

Clay scowled. “Are you sure? Did he take anything else?”

She huffed out a breath and glared at him. “Don’t you think that stealing women’s underclothes is enough?”

He cast an annoyed glance. “That’s not what I meant. I only want to make sure there was nothing else taken. This all needs to go into my report.”

“Report?” she barked with her hands flying up in the air before standing. “What’s the point? It’s not like any charges will ever stick. He’s too smart for that or maybe too slimy to be caught. Take your pick.”